P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri admits that McLaren “need to find a bit more” to challenge for regular podiums and potential race victories
McLaren is aiming to maintain the positive momentum from the previous season, where they went from struggling to score points to being a competitive team at the front of the grid. Despite facing some technical issues that affected their pre-season testing, the team believes their new car, the MCL38, is a definite improvement from the previous model. Driver Piastri expressed confidence in the team’s progress, acknowledging the challenges ahead but feeling optimistic about their overall performance. However, both Piastri and Norris acknowledge that Red Bull and Ferrari are currently ahead in terms of competitiveness, with McLaren still needing to work on improving their performance to challenge for podium finishes and wins consistently. Norris also noted that Bahrain has historically not been a strong track for McLaren, while highlighting the team’s progress with the 2024 challenger and the need to address weaknesses in slow-speed corners.
